Great Kids: Helping Your Baby and Child Develop the Ten Essential Qualities for a Happy, Healthy Life

Professor of psychiatry and pediatrics Greenspan (The Challenging Child, Engaging Autism) expands his authorial reach, heretofore limited to special needs children, with this general guide to instilling values in any developing child. A conversational style eases parents into the methods for cultivating 10 essential qualities that will ""make possible the pursuit of success, wisdom, and rich relationships at every stage of life"": engagement, empathy, curiosity, communication, emotional range, self-awareness, internal discipline, creativity and vision, logical thinking and moral integrity. Using the ""Floortime"" method developed (and trademarked) by Greenspan and his colleagues (widely practiced by those working with autistic children), the process begins with parents getting down into ""her orbit at her eye level and on her terms,"" letting the child lead so that one can ""build on her interests in ways that expand her experiences and tolerance for frustration."" Following a complete and detailed discussion of the quality in question, including helpful examples, chapters end with a concise set of action points for children at various stages of development. Interesting, practical and rooted in solid values, Greenspan's latest is a notable standout in a crowded field.